GNU Binutils readelf crashes when processing malformed ELF files

Summary

A security issue in GNU Binutils' readelf tool can cause it to crash when it encounters a specially crafted ELF file. This is not a security risk for data or code execution, but it can stop the program from working. Update to a fixed version of GNU Binutils to prevent crashes.

What to do

No fix is available yet. Check with your software vendor for updates.

Affected software

Vendor	Product	Affected versions	Fix available
gnu	binutils	<= 2.46	–

Original title

GNU Binutils thru 2.46 readelf contains a vulnerability that leads to an invalid pointer free when processing a crafted ELF binary with malformed relocation or symbol data. If dump_relocations retu...

Original description

GNU Binutils thru 2.46 readelf contains a vulnerability that leads to an invalid pointer free when processing a crafted ELF binary with malformed relocation or symbol data. If dump_relocations returns early due to parsing errors, the internal all_relocations array may remain partially uninitialized. Later, process_got_section_contents() may attempt to free an invalid r_symbol pointer, triggering memory corruption checks in glibc and causing the program to terminate with SIGABRT. No evidence of further memory corruption or code execution was observed; the impact is limited to denial of service.

Vulnerability type

CWE-476 NULL Pointer Dereference